


With Our Honesty

by Suzus



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: "i want to hear your voice", Acceptance, Disaster, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slooooow burn, Slow Burn, You've been warned, and another for how many times kasa thinks he's joking, dorks roleplaying royalty scenarios, finding a sense of belonging, learning and taking love slow, lots of hand kissy, one step at a time together, take a shot for how many times leo says i love you, those awkward moments when it's late and neither wants to go home, unnecessary amount of references to robin hood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-07 19:07:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18239024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Suzus/pseuds/Suzus
Summary: WITH OUR HONESTY; a leokasa cafeau! fic▸ pairings.leokasa/ slight!mugihaji / slight!ritsumao▸ current arc. 天边 • Edge of HeavenA wide grin grows on the newcomer’s face as he saunters over with his marigold, sun kissed hair tied in a low ponytail, bouncing after him in each and every step he takes. A skip to his step as well! A newfound excitement! Adrenaline surging through his veins! He takes another step, leather boots now clicking to a stop, and violet eyes do not falter. They’re carefully assessing his every movement, but with a hint of curiosity. Yes, this confirms it, he thinks to himself.





	1. 天边 • Edge of Heaven (1)

**Author's Note:**

> hi i don't know how to write leo and at this point i'm too afraid to ask.

With Our Honesty  
天边 • Edge of Heaven (1)  
_When I think of you, you seem as far as the horizon._  

* * *

 

The little bell chimes as the doors to the cafe swing wide open. A gust of wind rushes in. Loose papers fall onto the floor. A wild, but merry laugh fills the room with such energy that Tsukasa looks up from his cup of lavender tea. Commanding, chartreuse green eyes capture his. They stare through him, all knowing and playful as if he was already figured out.

A wide grin grows on the newcomer’s face as he saunters over with his marigold, sun kissed hair tied in a low ponytail, bouncing after him in each and every step he takes. A skip to his step as well! A newfound excitement! Adrenaline surging through his veins! He takes another step, leather boots now clicking to a stop, and violet eyes do not falter. They’re carefully assessing his every movement, but with a hint of curiosity. Yes, this confirms _it_ , he thinks to himself.

With no hesitation, he points at Tsukasa. He tosses on a ‘serious’ face—eyebrows knitted together and lips firmly pressed—for comedic effect.

And it’s just as expected; those eyes widen, and mouth slightly agape with bewilderment mixed with distress at the index finger pointed right at him. The newcomer cuts him off at the first syllable of “Jesus Christ”.

“Wahaha~ That’s it! That’s the expression I wanted to see!”

White sheets of paper, some full of scribbles, others full of staffs, slip from his hands and soar through the air. He closes his eyes, full of content, as he lets the papers fall on top of him with his arms stretched outward to embrace this new revelation.

What he doesn’t expect is the boy with a mop of red hair to pick up the papers one by one, stacking them in such a neat pile.

Tsukasa finds the folder a few feet away and tucks the stack neatly inside. A label with a rabbit border on the folder catches his eye.

**Property of Leo!! Don’t steal!!!**

It seems to be written with a red crayon.

“Don’t make a mess, Leo-san.” Tsukasa hands the folder back to its owner.

“How do you know my name?! You creepy guy! ...You haven’t been stalking me, right? Wait, no! Don’t tell me—you’re after my cute little Ruka! I’ll fight you right here and right now! Knights honor!” Leo takes a defensive stance as he wields the folder like a sword.

“En garde! Gehen Sie!!”

“No, no en garde!” Hajime rushes out of the kitchen and quickly goes in between Leo and Tsukasa. He gently pats Leo’s arm. “T-Tsukinaga-san...! Please don’t hurt Suou-kun! He hasn’t done anything wrong, so please put down your folder.”

“What do you mean? He knows my name! He’s after my dear Ruka! I’ll chop off his head for even daring to think about it!”

Leo waves the folder like a mad man. Hajime catches a glimpse of the label on the folder, and then gives Tsukasa a sympathetic smile.

“Your name tag is on the folder. It’s the sticker that I gave you, remember? Suou-kun must have saw it.”

Leo stares at the label. What a misunderstanding. Oh well, as long as Ruka is safe. He then looks up at Hajime. “Thanks—“ He stops short, blanking out. What was the name of the tea kid again?

“You forgot again...?”

Leo shakes his head and sticks out his hand like a stop sign. Stop! Give him a moment. “You’re... you’re... Hameji! No! Hajime!”

After recovering from shock, all Tsukasa could think of is how much of a lunatic this ‘Leo’ is. He crosses his arms at the spectacle before him.

“You...sure that kid isn’t out to get my sister...?” Leo whispers loudly in Hajime’s ear and takes a peek at Tsukasa who raises a brow.

“I’m sure. Uhm...Tsukinaga-san, maybe you want to have a seat? Everyone is looking this way.”

“Wahaha~ Feast your eyes on this naked king who will now take a seat graciously over here!” With that said, he slides in the booth right next to Tsukasa, making the latter stiffen up.

“Hm~ Oh! Nah, I’m not going to chop off your head. Relax kid~” The aromatic smell of lavender tea immediately distracts him. “What’s this leaf water?”

Before Leo could reach for it, Tsukasa pushes it to the side.

“Have you no manners?”

“Aw, kid! You’re no fun!”

Tsukasa frowns. “My name is Suou Tsukasa. Not ‘kid’.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever, kid. Hey, Hajime! I want leaf water too!!”

Hajime nods and prepares fresh brewed lavender tea for Leo in the kitchen. He places the tea cup along with the pastries Tsukasa ordered onto a tray, carefully balancing it as he picks up another tray for the table in the front.

“Here’s your order, a mini chocolate cheesecake and your latte, sir. Enjoy!”

He then makes his way over to Tsukasa and Leo. The steam coming from the freshly baked pastries swirl in circles, rising up and disappearing before a new wave replaces it. Oh, the aroma! Leo glances at Tsukasa, who’s eagerly looking at the tray with his hands on the edge of the table. What a kid.

“Strawberry puff pastry, chocolate muffin, and a strawberry shortcake for Suou-kun. Lavender tea for Tsukinaga-san. Enjoy!”

Leo takes a sip of the lavender tea and winces. He tries to fan his tongue with his hands though his efforts were to no avail. He then settles to use the nearest napkin to wipe his tongue. “It won’t stop burning! This burning passion! Aha, I’ll call it ‘The Tea that Burns Thy Soul’! Wahaha~ Come to me inspiration!”

He spreads out the papers onto the table and scribbles a bunch of notes on the lines of the predrawn staff. Hajime finishes clocking out and takes a seat across from Tsukasa.

“Uhm, it’s kind of late to do so, but…! Suou-kun, this is Tsukinaga Leo”—Hajime leaves an opening for Leo, but he’s absorbed in composing—“He’s a freelance composer, the person who made the music for the musical we went to—uhm, the one starring Tomoya-kun.”

Tsukasa almost drops his cup of tea in surprise. This _person_ composed the music for the musical? He gives Leo an incredulous look, full of disbelief.

“Tsukinaga-san, this is Suou Tsukasa. We go to the same university.”

Leo suddenly stands up and drops his pen on the staff, making a dot on ‘F’. “Bullseye! The note should go riiight here.”

“Is he…?”

“It’s normal! I think…! So uhm, Suou-kun. How are you doing this week?”

The two spend a good amount of time catching up. It’s been a semester since they had last talked. Conflicting schedules were to blame for this temporary disconnection.

Unbeknownst to Hajime and Tsukasa, Leo was listening in to the conversation. And once the two were on their own merry way, he drops his pen on the table and stares into thin air.

Ah, the inspiration disappeared. He stares at his hands, mourning the loss of his short lived happiness.

The lamp posts outside of the cafe blink. He rubs his eyes and lets out a long yawn. The lavender tea is now cold, but he chugs it down to the last drop.

He’d like to see that creepy guy again, whatever his name is. Leo leans back on the cushiony booth seat and closes his eyes. Violet mixed with turmoil embedded within his memory.

A flower upon a distant peak.


	2. 天边 • Edge of Heaven (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for reading woh so far! This chapter is much longer than the first and kind of fast forwards things for leokasa with a bit of a timeskip. It's still slowburn, I reassure you. There's also an extra with a song recommendation later in the fic (a piano cover of love from robin hood on youtube). Annnd I finally gained the courage to open up the private twitter account for this au! It's over here @withourhonesty if you're interested. Previews, hcs, worldbuilding, and rambles for the au. Follows back too! Thank you again and I hope you enjoy!

With Our Honesty  
天边 • Edge of Heaven (2)  
_When I think of you, you seem as far as the horizon._

* * *

The creepy guy isn’t here today either. Leo frowns and drums his fingers on the wooden table. _Badum. Badum. Badum._ The rush hadn’t returned since their last fateful encounter. Lost in the depths of the past that violently snatched his muse away. He knows there is no point in crying over spilled milk. It comes. It goes.

Still, it was special to him.

When Hajime walks by with a tray to the far back, Leo stops him, tugging at the strings of the cocoa colored apron with a free hand, the other still drumming away on the table.

“You said he was coming today!”

“Ah, I’m sorry! I think Suou-kun is running a bit late. He said he’ll try to make it in time before the evening performance, but it seems like he has his hands tied with some business.”

Yet again fate plays its cruel hand of cards! All of last week the kid was busy, busy, busy with companions huddled together with a mountain of textbooks. The week before last too! All Leo could do was watch. From what he saw, the kid is extremely polite, honest too. Not too many smiles unless you count the fake ones plastered on his face.

Well, they had exchanged greetings very briefly. Quick hellos and quick goodbyes. They held decent conversations (not as long as he liked but he’ll take it), one of them was something about him being irresponsible, but a conversation nonetheless. Still, how frustrating! A lollipop in sight, but taken away before he could reach! At least give him a chance...

The drumming slows to a stop. Fingertips lose their spark, barely having enough energy to rise up from the table to perform once more—no! He mustn’t give up. He has high hopes for this miracle that will rightly return his inspiration! Justice will be sought! The drumming picks back up and continues with the incantation. Pinky first. Index finger. Middle! Freeform now! Eyes close and imagine the stage before him: the spotlight spilling down onto his shoulders, the glittering piano keys, and the tightly packed rows of the audience with blurred faces. He catches a glimpse of violet in the far back row. Unsmiling eyes. Lonely, but still very violet in his eyes! Amethyst? Lilac? Orchid?

Violet suits those eyes better.

A violent pounding in his chest resounds. _Badum. Badum. Badum._

The door rattles open. The bell chimes. A gust of wind musses his marigold color hair. His eyelids slowly flutter open. Violet stares back. Violet like the fields of lavender delicately swaying back and forth in blissful harmony on a clear, sunny day.

Aha! There he is! And the kid turns away with his back facing Leo. What a _shy_ one. He lets out a small giggle.

“Hey, kid!”

The mumbling mumbo jumbo of conversations in the cafe cover up his voice. He tries again, but a loud laugh from the lady next to him covers that too. He cups his cheek with a hand, opting to stare intensely at the boy’s back instead. _C’mon! C’mon baby, feel it!_

The fork slips out of Tsukasa’s hand, clattering onto the plate.

_C’mon! You can do it!_

He picks up the fork.

_C’mon, kid!_

It’s truly unpleasant when someone stares for too long, especially when they deliberately burn holes into your back. Tsukasa had done his best to ignore all of it last week (and the week before), but his patience was wearing thin. He huffs. Why couldn’t he enjoy his tiramisu in peace?

_Turn around! Uchuu~_

He abruptly turns around from his seat, the legs of the chair skidding to a stop just a few centimeters away from its original placement, and he meets those eyes, cat like and still ever so observant. What do they know about him? Green takes ahold of him once more, drawing him in close. _Almost_ mesmerizing, he notes, but he frees himself from the spell with a challenging stare of his own, only to receive a wide smile in return. Eyes twinkling too.

Seeing as the kid is without company this time, Leo invites himself over, grabbing his messy pile of papers and pulling up a chair to sit across from Tsukasa. Music sheets scatter on the table. Tsukasa pushes one of them away from his cake.

“Is there something—“

Leo leans forward, and says in a hushed whisper as if it was a secret between the two, “You have nice eyes.”

There is a long pause before Tsukasa speaks. Nice eyes? “Pardon?”

“Didn’t you hear what I said?! You have nice eyes, kid!”

“For the last time, my name is not ‘kid’!”

There he begins composing once more, dead to the world and unresponsive to the irritated tone from the lecture he was receiving. He marks one sheet and then another, spreading the papers on the table once again.

The waitress sets down the cup of lavender tea in front of Leo. He lifts up the teacup and takes a sip—

“Hot! Hot!! It burns once more! This fiery exuberance is rushing down my throat to the center of my chest! Could this be a message?!”

“Will you—“

“No! Don’t speak! It’ll disappear!”

With that said Leo furiously scribbles notes all over the staff. It takes him a full ten minutes to complete the first draft of his new masterpiece. He looks up from the music sheet with trembling excitement.

“You! You must be my knight of inspiration?! Wahaha~ It’s just as that magician said! Seek the violets among the red string of fate! Hold your pinky up! Yes, just like that! I knew it, I knew it when I saw you~” He says the last part in a sing song voice. “I need to tell Sena, Naru, and Rittsu right now! Eh? Where’s my phone?”

Leo fumbles in his pockets, pulling out a coin, a paperclip, and a red crayon. He stuffs them back into his pocket. Right, he left his phone at home. Sadly, the announcement must be delayed, but the show must go on! An inquisitive stare catches his attention. He meets those eyes once more.

“Hey, say something, kid!”

“Your behavior is mystifying. One moment you are rambling nonsense and the next you are completely unresponsive. Not to mention, you continue to invade my personal space. I am not sure what to make of it, Leo-san.”

Leo squirms in his chair and pouts at the lecture. “I don’t like it! Don’t say it like that. Make something out of it, kid!”

“I, Suou Tsukasa, will not tolerate this any longer. You make such a claim that I am your ‘inspiration’—do not misunderstand, I am honored— yet you fail to remember my name despite me constantly reminding you. How, no, what must I do? Tell me earnestly and do not look away.”

The lights slowly dim, casting a warm gradient in the room. Extra chairs and tables are moved back with the help of some guests and the staff. _Click._ Hajime unlocks the back of the cafe reserved for events, pushing the sliding doors to the side. The wheels on the bottom of the sliding doors creak and clasp onto the walls. The musicians step onto the empty platform, and they eagerly gesture for everyone to rise and join them for a series of dances. One takes a seat on the piano stool. The other sets up her saxophone. Leo sees them from the corner of his eye. A smirk slowly creeps its way up. He parts his lips, revealing pointy canines. Tsukasa’s gaze lingers on them for a moment before returning to meet Leo’s eyes.

“A dance, my knight. Give me your hand.”

Mischief dances in his eyes. There’s this playfulness with the way he extends out his hand. Is he serious? Is this not a joke? Tsukasa cannot shrug off the feeling that this is probably another impulsive act of Leo’s. Would this dance answer his question? Or is it simply a distraction? The hand is still extended out towards him. Tsukasa takes it, and Leo gently guides him over to the platform.

[ PLAY ▷ [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-94Wob0LKQ4 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-94Wob0LKQ4)]

“And what dance do you propose, Leo-san? Name your conditions.”

“Hm~ Hm~ What everyone is doing! Don’t hold back!”

Tsukasa surveys the room. A few old timer couples begin dancing the waltz for fun, chuckling with smiling eyes, and a few others join them. Friends and family alike. Not exactly his speciality, dancing that is, but with the amount of formal parties he participated in, dare he say he can move with fluid grace.

Leo hasn’t let go of his hand. Tsukasa takes this opportunity to lead, surprising the former with this sudden boldness. A hand firmly holds Leo’s back. Clasped hands raised up. Why go to such lengths for a name? This leaves Leo puzzled, especially at the resolve in those vibrant, violet eyes full of energy. Leo understands that this will not go down without a fight. A duel it is! Oh, he hasn’t had this much fun in a long while!

Narrowing his eyes and grinning, Leo takes a quick step backwards catching Tsukasa off guard. That wasn’t how the dance traditionally starts! Leo ignores Tsukasa’s silent protests, dancing to the beat of his own heart. Ah, his heart says to the left! He swings Tsukasa over, dodging a pair coming at the same direction.

This whole thing is a silly idea. Why did he even agree to it, he asks himself as he gasps for breath. What an ungodly amount of stamina Leo has.

“Tired, kid?” Tsukasa shoots Leo a look.

“No, I am perfectly fine. Thank you for your concern, but you look as if you need a break. Why don’t you rest, Leo-san.”

It’s phrased not as a question, but as a command. How intriguing! A giddy feeling blossoms in Leo’s chest, and it reflects on the smile he gives Tsukasa. Neither one is willing to back down from this test of stamina. Tsukasa takes the lead once more, properly demonstrating the waltz to his partner, who quickly catches on and speeds up the tempo. Amazing footwork, Tsukasa notes as he looks down at their feet. Ah, a sudden twirl! He quickly prepares himself for it only for Leo to twirl him around.

Hajime and an unknown man with dark blue wavy hair and black framed glasses watch from a table nearby. Seeing as they both wave, Leo points their clasped hands at the two, then dips Tsukasa down, causing the latter to yelp in surprise.

Unruly, marigold hair slips from the hair tie which falls onto the floor, rolling off to a short distance away from them. Sunset cascades down his shoulders. The lighting casts a small halo, a crown of light from the back of Leo’s head to his middle parted bangs now messily glued on his forehead from the sweat. Tsukasa stares with wide eyes, breathless at this turn of events. He raises a free hand, using his thumb and index finger to lift the strands of marigold bangs up one by one. Leo purses his lips, and allows Tsukasa to fix his bangs. The two rest in this position for a moment, staring into each other’s eyes. The music comes to a halt, dispersing this trance. They stand upright again and take a bow. Tsukasa turns to see Hajime and his companion clapping.

“I haven’t had this much exercise in a long, long time!~ That was so fun, Suo~ Let’s do this again! I promise I’ll be great entertainment the next time too.”

“It was certainly interesting...” Leo’s dance was unrestrained, lacking of rules. Still, it was, he had to admit, enjoyable. Something out of the ordinary, but refreshing—

Tsukasa pauses in his steps. ‘Suo’. Had he heard right? “Leo-san… you…?”

All he receives is a sunny smile in response. Tsukasa opens his mouth only to be cut off.

“Shh~ Say, how about we have one more for the night.” Tsukasa tilts his head to the side. His attention is focused solely on Leo, and not the music nor the people in the background. Honest eyes filled with wonder. Nervousness suddenly builds up in Leo’s throat as he grabs a fist full of his hair to tie back up—it helps with concentration—only to realize that he had lost the hair tie halfway. Sunset bounces back onto his shoulders. He licks his lips and quickly adds, “To commemorate of course. You’ve joined Robin Hood and his merrie men.”

Robin Hood? Merrie men? A rare smile grazes across Tsukasa’s lips. Resigned but accepting nonetheless. How charming. Does he realize he’s smiling right now?

A hand is extended outward to Leo. Leo takes this sign as acceptance much to his relief. He slides his hand on top of Tsukasa’s, feeling the warmth seep in and return to his chest. It surges through—there it is again, the giddy feeling now dancing on the balls of his feet—and the expression on Tsukasa’s face encourages it more. Leo hums in delight.

His knight of inspiration. Smiling eyes. Stars twinkling in the night sky of violet.


End file.
